Rolling luggage

ABSTRACT

An article of luggage is described which has a plurality of rollers permanently mounted on its bottom wall and a flexible transport strap attached to its upper part.

United States Patent Sadow 51 Apr. 4, 1972 1 ROLLING LUGGAGE 1,291,5391/1919 Josephson ..280/47.34

1,376,529 5/1921 Grant ..190/58 [72] Chappaqua 3,057,002 10/1962 Levinet al. 190/1 8 A [73] Assignee: United States Luggage Corp., Fall River,1,241,890 10/1917 Schrader ..190/58 X Mass.

[22] Filed: 1970 Primary ExaminerJoseph R. Leclair 2 AppL 3 3 AssistantExaminer-Stephen P. Garbe Attorney-Joseph Zallen [52] US. Cl. ..190/18A,190/58, 280/4717 [51] Int. Cl ..A45c 13/00 57 ABSTRACT [58] Field ofSearch ..190/18 A,58,59;280/47.34,

230/4717 47 3 An article of luggage is described which has a pluralityof rollers permanently mounted on its bottom wall and a flexible [56]References Cited transport strap attached to its upper part.

UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 2,392,926 l/l946 Kelly..190/58 Patented April 4, 1972 2 Shoots-Sheet 1 IFIG.

|ll'lllal'll|'l'l|ll"" l'allllllll Patented April 4, 1972 2 Sheets-SheetF3 ROLLING LUGGAGE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates toarticles of luggage. In particular it relates to articles of luggagewhich can be easily transported.

With the enormous recent growth in travel, a number of problems havearisen in the handling of luggage. Whereas formerly luggage would behandled by porters and be loaded or unloaded at points convenient to thestreet, the large terminals of today, particularly air terminals, haveincreased the difficulty of baggage handling. Thus, it is oftennecessary for a passenger to handle his own luggage in an air, rail orbus terminal. Further, where the passenger does handle his own luggage,he is often required to walk very great distances. In view of the weightinvolved, baggage handling has become perhaps the biggest singledifficulty encountered by an air passenger.

One object of the present invention is to provide an article of luggagewhich can be readily handled with a minimum of effort and time by thetraveler.

A further object of this invention is to provide such an article ofluggage which would be otherwise conventional in shape, size and style.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent fromthe description and claims which follow, taken together with theappended drawings.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The invention in its most general terms comprisesan article of luggage which has a plurality of rollers permanentlymounted on its bottom wall and a flexible transport strap attached toits upper part, preferably to the upper portion of one of its end walls.The articles of luggage to which this invention is particularlyapplicable are those which have a cover portion connected by a hinge toa body portion. In closed position such articles of luggage have abottom wall formed from portions of the cover and body, two end wallsformed from portions of the cover and body, a side wall which is part ofthe cover, a side wall which is part of the body, and an upper wallwhich is formed by the cover and body.

The rollers are preferably attached to both the cover portion and thebody portion of the bottom wall. The rollers can comprise individualassemblies as, for example, a bracket having means for attachment to thebottom wall and containing a cup-shaped closure for housing a ballbearing. The flexible transport strap is preferably detachable and ispreferably attached to the upper portion of one of the end walls througha loop mounted on the end wall.

This invention is also applicable to luggage known as garment carriersor garment bags, i.e., luggage in which clothes are supported in theirnormal fashion on hangers in interior supports but which can be foldedand locked for purposes of transportation. Such items of luggage gounder various trademarks as, for example, CAR-MATE of United StatesLuggage Corp.

Luggage made in accordance with this invention has been found to bereadily and easily movable. The luggage actually glides. Further,substantially any person, regardless of size, strength or age can easilypull the luggage along without effort or strain.

The term roller" as used herein and in the claims is used in its broadsense to include wheels, casters and the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS stra p SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF INVENTION Asillustrated in the drawings, an article of casual luggage 10 is shownhaving a cover member 11 connected to a body member 12 by hinges 101.The cover member 11 with its metal edge 11a is held together with bodymember 12 and its metal edge 120 by means of draw bolts 13 and 14 andlock 15. A normal handle 16 is provided on the body member 12.

Cover member 11 comprises side wall 114 and a depending lateral wallhaving a bottom portion 111, end portions 1 12 and 113 and upper portion115. Body member 12 comprises side wall 124 and a depending lateral wallhaving a bottom portion 121, end wall portions 122 and 123 and upperportion 125. In closed condition, the bottom wall consists of sections111 and 121, the end walls consist of sections 1 12 and 122 and sections113 and 123, and the upper wall consists of sections and 125.

On the bottom wall are provided four roller assemblies 23-26. Asillustrated with reference to roller assembly 23, these are attached tothe bottom wall by rivets 30 and 31 extending through the outer portion32 and concealed by lining 33. The assembly 23 comprises a brackethaving a cup 28 holding a ball bearing 27 and has extensions cooperablewith said rivets.

Roller assemblies 23 and 24 are mounted on the narrow wall section 111of cover member 11 while roller assemblies 25 and 26 are mounted on thewide wall section 121 of body member 12 near the edge of side wall 124.

Attached to end wall 122 of body member 12 is a fixed loop 17 positionednear the edge 11a of the cover member and the upper wall 125. Adapted tobe clasped onto the loop 17 is flexible transport strap 18. Strap 18 hasa closed loop 19 adapted to be held in the hand and a strip 20 adaptedto pull through fixed loop 17 and back on itself by means of snapfastener elements 21 and 22.

I claim:

1. In an article of luggage having a bottom wall, a top wall spaced fromsaid bottom wall and substantially parallel therewith, two end wallsinterconnecting said top and bottom walls and being substantiallyperpendicular thereto, two spaced and substantially parallel side wallsin the area defined by said top, bottom and end walls, and a carryinghandle permanently affixed to said top wall; the improvement of aplurality of rollers mounted on said bottom wall, loop means mounted onone of said end walls near said top wall, and a flexible transport straphaving a free end threaded through said loop means, said free end beingprovided with separable fastener means engageable with an intermediateportion of said strap for securing said free end to said loop means,whereby said luggage may be carried by said handle or roller on saidrollers by pulling said strap.

2. In article of luggage as set forth in claim 1, said rollers beingoffset from each other relative to a line perpendicular to said sidewalls.

3. In an article of luggage as set forth in claim 2, there being fourrollers, two adjacent one side wall and two adjacent the other sidewall.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 653474 I Dated April 4 a 1972 Invent0r(s) Bernard D. Sadow Chappaqua, N. Y.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent andthat said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In Claim 1, next to the last line, the last word should read, "rolled".

Signed and sealed this 18th day of July 1972.

( SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissionerof Patents FORM (0459) USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 UIS, GOVERNMENT PRINTINGOFFICE 1 1569 0-365-334

1. In an article of luggage having a bottom wall, a top wall spaced fromsaid bottom wall and substantially parallel therewith, two end wallsinterconnecting said top and bottom walls and being substantiallyperpendicular thereto, two spaced and substantially parallel side wallsin the area defined by said top, bottom and end walls, and a carryinghandle permanently affixed to said top wall; the improvement of aplurality of rollers mounted on said bottom wall, loop means mounted onone of said end walls near said top wall, and a flexible transport straphaving a free end threaded through said loop means, said free end beingprovided with separable fastener means engageable with an intermediateportion of said strap for securing said free end to said loop means,whereby said luggage may be carried by said handle or roller on saidrollers by pulling said strap.
 2. In article of luggage as set forth inclaim 1, said rollers being offset from each other relative to a lineperpendicular to said side walls.
 3. In an article of luggage as setforth in claim 2, there being four rollers, two adjacent one side walland two adjacent the other side wall.